Terrebonne library used by 851,421 last year

Sunday

Mar 24, 2013 at 6:00 AM

Terrebonne Parish Library System officials say the system had a successful 2012.

Mary Cosper LeBoeuf Terrebonne Library Director

Terrebonne Parish Library System officials say the system had a successful 2012. The Library System checked out a total of 436,882 items for the year with 851,421 people visiting libraries. It held 2,671 programs with an attendance of 45,110 people. The staff answered 221,990 reference questions — whether in person, on the telephone, by email or text message. A total of 115,487 people used the Library System's public computers.

The 10th annual Jambalaya Writers' Conference is scheduled for April 13 at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library, 151 Library Drive, Houma. The keynote speaker is Tim O'Brien, author of “The Things They Carried.” The book is about O'Brien's experience in the Vietnam War. The one-day conference also features novelists Jennifer Blake, aka Patricia Maxwell, Heather Graham and children's author Robert San Souci. For information, visit www.mytpl.org/jwc or call 850-5301.

A National Geographic giant map of North America is set for exhibit May 7-23 at the Main Library. The map is available for schools and community groups to use for interactive learning and exploration. The 26-by-35-inch map comes with a trunk of interactive activities, games, props and educational resources for all ages. Family play times will also be available with dates and times to be announced in April. For information, sample activities and lesson plans, visit the National Geographic website.The map is available May 7-9 and 17-23 at the Main Library and May 10-17 at the North Terrebonne Library, 4130 W. Park Ave., Gray.To schedule a giant map session for your class or community group, contact Jen Hamilton at jen@mytpl.org or 850-5306.

The Friends of the Library's trivia game is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month in the large meeting room of the Main Library. There are individual and group games. The charge is $1 if you are not a club member. The questions are geared for high-school students and adults.

Free tax-preparation services from Volunteer Income Tax Assistance is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Main Library. Taxes are performed for free if an individual earned less than $50,000 and less than $100 in royalties.Volunteers with Catholic Charities will prepare the tax returns. You'll need proof of identification, Social Security cards and birth dates for you, your spouse and all dependents, and wage and earning statements. For Louisiana state tax credits, bring in 2012 homeowner's insurance declaration page, and receipts for school and tuition expenses.

The Library System has an app available for library users and digital magazines available for readers.You can access your library anytime with the myTPL app. The app allows searching for books, DVDs, audiobooks and CDs. You can also request an item and renew an item. If you see an interesting item somewhere, you can scan it and see if the Library System has it. Also included in the app is access to the e-book collection.You can also find contact information, hours and locations. The myTPL app is available for Apple, Android, Windows and Blackberry devices. Download the app by searching mytpl in your app store.

The Library System belongs to the world's largest newsstand, and now you can access it too. You can read magazines subscriptions free online or using most handheld devices. All you need is a library card in good standing and a valid email address. Check out the users guide for easy-to-use instructions at mytpl.org/zinio. This link will also direct you to the website for registration and downloading.If you have any questions about downloading these applications, call the Library System's reference department at 876-5861, option 2.

The Library System's staff is trained to help you access e-books on your e-readers. You can go to any Terrebonne Parish library and have a staff member program your device to use the Library System's e-book collection.

The Library System is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. With a library card in good standing, you can access services. You can renew items and request items, along with searching the catalog. If you need a book to read, you can download e-books and audiobooks. If you want new music on your MP3 player, just access Freegal. To keep up with the latest events in the Library System, check out the Library System's Facebook page or Bayou Reference Blog. All these services happen on the Library System's website at www.mytpl.org.

The Library System will be closed Friday for Good Friday and March 31 for Easter. The Main Library will also be closed Saturday due to carpet cleaning.

Charlie Audirsch's fossil display is on exhibit at the Main Library.David Diket's LEGO creations are on display at the North Terrebonne Library.

Mary Cosper LeBoeuf is director of the Terrebonne Parish Library System. She can be reached at 876-5158.

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